Method and website for making travel plans

• US 20070143156A1
• Filed: 08/02/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ciderhouse
• Original Assignee: Ciderhouse
• Inventors: van Deursen, Marc
• Application Number:
  US11/497,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143156A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method and a website for making travel plans between an originating location and a destination that may be at least partially determined by weather criteria, travel time and cost, and preselected activities that may exist at the destination during the time period in which a trip is to be made.

Claims

1. A server powered website for determining travel plans for at least one traveler from an originating location to a destination, said server being connectable in a network that comprises weather related data sources and interest activity data sources, said website comprising:

at least one web page that enables a user to;

select an originating location of the traveler;

select a time period in which the travel is to occur;

select interest activities that the traveler can pursue at a destination;

select weather criteria for a destination;

the server searching one or more weather related databases to locate weather related destinations having said selected weather criteria in said selected time period;

the server searching one or more destination data sources to locate activity related destinations that satisfy selected interest activities;

the server processing the results of said weather related destination search and said activity related destination search and displaying destinations that were located by both said weather related destination and activity related destination searches.

2. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein the network further comprises at least one computerized reservation system having access to airline scheduling data sources, said at least one web page enables a user to select a maximum flight time from the originating location to a destination, said server searching said airline scheduling data sources to locate destinations that are within said maximum flight time from the originating location, said server processing the results of said airline scheduling related destination search together with the results of said weather related destination search and said activity related destination search and displaying destinations that were located by all of said weather related destination, said activity related destination and said airline scheduling related destination searches.

3. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein the network further comprises at least one computerized reservation system having access to airline scheduling data sources, said at least one web page enables a user to select a maximum cost of an air fare from the originating location to a destination, said server searching said airline scheduling data sources to locate destinations that are within said maximum cost from the originating location, said server processing the results of said airline scheduling related destination search together with the results of said weather related destination search and said activity related destination search and displaying destinations that were located by all of said weather related destination, said activity related destination and said airline scheduling related destination searches.

4. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein the network further comprises at least one computerized reservation system having access to airline scheduling data sources, said at least one web page enables a user to select a maximum flight time and cost of an air fare from the originating location to a destination, said server searching said airline scheduling data sources to locate destinations that are within said maximum flight time and cost from the originating location, said server processing the results of said airline scheduling related destination search together with the results of said weather related destination search and said activity related destination search and displaying destinations that were located by all of said weather related destination, said activity related destination and said airline scheduling related destination searches.

5. A website as defined in claim 2 wherein said at least one web page has a flight time selection section for selecting a maximum flight time, with an activating box, a movable icon for varying the flight time and a display window for displaying the maximum flight time.

6. A website as defined in claim 3 wherein said at least one web page has a flight price selection section for selecting a maximum flight cost, with an activating box, a movable icon for varying the flight cost and a display window for displaying the maximum flight cost.

7. A website as defined in claim 2 wherein said at least one computerized reservation system include one or more of a private reservation system, a CRS such as the Galileo, Amadeus, Sabre and Worldspan systems.

8. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein said network is the Internet.

9. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein server searching one or more weather related databases comprises the server:

constructing queries for said selected weather criteria;

connecting to one or more weather forecasting data sources;

sending said queries to said one or more weather forecasting data sources;

receiving city and weather forecasting data identifying one or more cities in said geographical region that match said weather criteria.

10. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one web page has a weather criteria selection section for selecting a desired temperature, with an activating box, a movable icon for varying the temperature and a display window for displaying the temperature selected.

11. A website as defined in claim 10 wherein said movable icon is a slideable icon that can be moved when a user contacts the icon with a cursor and selects the icon with a mouse and drags it from its original position when selected.

12. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one web page has a weather criteria selection section for selecting a desired weather type, with an activating box, a movable icon for varying the weather type and a display window for displaying the weather type selected.

13. A website as defined in claim 12 wherein said weather types comprise at least sunny, cloudy and rainy conditions.

14. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein said at least one web page has an interest activities selection section for selecting at least one interest activity, each activity having with an activating box, and an associated icon that represents the activity.

15. A website as defined in claim 14 wherein said interest activities selection section includes a plurality of activating boxes and associated icons, comprising one or more from the group of:

golfing;

hiking;

shopping;

beach;

diving;

famous cities;

skiing; and

racing.

16. A website as defined in claim 15 wherein said at least one web page comprises a top destination section associated with said interest activities selection section, wherein a plurality of suggested destinations are listed for a predetermined number of activated boxes.

17. A website as defined in claim 1 wherein the website is configured to enable a user to:

specify the number and relative ages of travelers for which travel plans are being made;

choose a destination from the displayed list of destinations; and

select flights to the chosen destination; and

book the selected flights.

18. A server powered website for determining travel plans for at least one traveler from an originating location to a destination, said server being connectable in a network that comprises weather related data sources, interest activity data sources and airline scheduling data sources, said website comprising:

at least one web page that enables a user to;

select an originating location of the traveler;

select a time period in which the travel is to occur;

select interest activities that the traveler can pursue at a destination;

select weather criteria for a destination;

the server searching one or more weather related databases to locate weather related destinations having said selected weather criteria in said selected time period;

the server searching one or more destination data sources to locate activity related destinations that satisfy selected interest activities;

the server processing the results of said weather related destination search and said activity related destination search and displaying destinations that were located by both said weather related destination and activity related destination searches.

the server accessing at least one flight reservation system having access to the airline scheduling data sources;

said at least one web page enabling a user to select at least one of a maximum flight time or a maximum flight price for a flight from the originating location to a destination, said server searching said airline scheduling data sources to locate destinations that are within said maximum flight time from the originating location, said server processing the results of said airline scheduling related destination search together with the results of said weather related destination search and said activity related destination search and displaying destinations that were located by all of said weather related destination, said activity related destination and said airline scheduling related destination searches.